This invention relates to a portable communication terminal and, more particularly, to a portable communication terminal providing an excitative indication service for an incoming call or mail in the absence of user""s attention, a method for producing excitative indication and a computer program for the method.
Growing research and development efforts are being made for high-performance portable communication terminals such as mobile communication computers with an emphasis put on services as portable digital assistants. The portable communication terminals are usually carried by the users so as to permit the user immediately to communicate with others.
When a call signal reaches a portable communication terminal, the portable communication terminal notifies the user of the call, and the user takes the portable communication terminal in his or her hands for receiving a message such as an e-mail. Then, a radio channel is established between the portable communication terminal and the calling subscriber or a provider, and the user receives the message.
However, the user sometimes leaves the portable communication terminal inactive, or is within a prohibited area where users have to refrain from communication through the portable communication terminal. In this situation, the prior art portable communication terminal tries to notify the user of the incoming call or a message left in the information service facility through an image or words produced on the display unit thereof However, the display unit is passive. The image or words are produced on the display unit only when a program runs on the prior art portable communication terminal. In other words, if the user leaves the prior art portable communication terminal inactive, the prior art portable communication terminal does not inform the user of the incoming call or the message. The message may be urgent. If the urgent message reaches the user too late, the prior art portable communication terminal disappoints the user.
It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a portable communication terminal, which forces user to pay the attention to an incoming call/e-mail not responded by the user.
It is also an important object of the present invention to provide a method for producing an excitative indication so as to force the user to pay the attention to the portable communication terminal.
It is also an important object of the present invention to provide a computer program for the method.
To accomplish the objects, the present invention proposes to give excitative indication to user so as to force his or her attention to a portable communication terminal.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable communication terminal forming a part of a communication network, comprising a transmitter-receiver receiving an in-coming signal and transmitting an out-going signal through a communication channel of the communication network, an active call-up device responsive to a first instruction for producing an excitative indication and giving the excitative indication to an environment so as to force a user, if any, to pay an attention thereto, an interface to the user for at least accepting a response to the in-coming signal, an information processing system connected to the transmitter-receiver, the active call-up device and the interface and producing the first instruction when the communication channel is broken before the user gives the response through the interface.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for outputting an excitative indication from a portable communication terminal, and the method comprises the steps of (a) receiving an in-coming signal relating at least one of a call and an e-mail, (b) determining whether or not a user has responded to the in-coming signal, (c) checking a lapse of time from the reception of the in-coming signal to see whether or not the lapse of time reaches a value when the answer at step (b) is given negative, (d) generating the excitative indication so as to force the user, if any, to pay an attention to the at least one of the call and the e-mail when the answer at step (c) is given affirmative and (e) repeating the steps (b), (c) and (d) until the answer at step (b) is changed affirmative.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program for realizing a method of outputting an excitative indication from a portable communication terminal, and the method comprises the steps of (a) receiving an in-coming signal relating at least one of a call and an e-mail, (b) determining whether or not a user has responded to the in-coming signal, (c) checking a lapse of time from the reception of the in-coming signal to see whether or not the lapse of time reaches a value when the answer at step (b) is given negative, (d) generating the excitative indication so as to force the user, if any, to pay an attention to the at least one of the call and the e-mail when the answer at step (c) is given affirmative and (e) repeating the steps (b), (c) and (d) until the answer at step (b) is changed affirmative.